


A Christmas Wonder

by YvaJ



Category: Neko no Ongaeshi | The Cat Returns
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 14:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8716840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YvaJ/pseuds/YvaJ
Summary: Haru returns to the Refuge with questions about her and Baron's feelings, but also to witness a miracle at Christmastime.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story was initially written and posted on Fan Fiction net and later removed, but one of the comments to it stuck with me and that was about the ending of the story. The person commenting said that the ending didn't really work and that the last two scenes should be switched. So, I went back into the story today and reworked the final scenes of it, per that suggestion. So, thanks to that anonymous reviewer who made the suggestion that would better the story. It does flow a lot better. Here's hoing you enjoy it.
> 
> Happy Holidays. :)

  
**A Christmas Wonder**  
By: YvaJ 

Outside it was snowing and the Refuge carried an element of magic that could only come at this time of year. Inside the Cat Bureau, the three inhabitants were decorating for Christmas. The tree stood, but boxes of decorations were still stacked on the floor.

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen was standing in the room trying to decide where the decorations would be best suitable. For him, the bureau’s rooms were large and spacious, but for some reason, this year, he wanted to make certain that there was more room to move around.

Perhaps it was because he had been thinking about Haru Yoshioka again. He was never one to admit this, but he had been thinking about her quite a lot lately. Something was happening in her life, something that could possibly bring her back to the Bureau. This idea seemed to be hanging in the air, although he could not put a finger on what specifically it was.

It had been close to two years since she had initially come seeking his help. She was now nineteen-years-old and he could not help but ponder if she was still as fetching she had been back then.

Right now, his two friends, Toto and Muta were trying, without much success at pulling the extension chord over to the wall, the tree wobbling to the left and right. It was clear that they needed a third party’s help, and from the looks of things, said help was needed right away.

“Baron, you’ve got to help us,” Muta started complaining, his large body trying to keep the tree from falling to the right.

“He can’t help us, you idiot. I told you the extension cord was too short,” Toto spoke up, his voice breaking Baron completely out of his contemplations and back to the matter at hand. 

“Oh shut up, you oversized chicken,” Muta snapped back, the fat white cat offering one of his typical scowls.

“Can’t you think of better insults than that?” Toto rebuffed.

These snappish remarks seemed to constantly fly back and forth between Muta and Toto like a heated tennis match. Strange that it was Baron’s idea that the two of them help with decorating.

 _I should have known better than to even try to get those two to work together,_ he thought. _They can’t go five seconds without getting into another row._

Instead of coming to the aid of the crow and the fat cat, Baron cast a glance towards the window. The snow was now coming down harder than before and the night time sky was as black as velvet.

Casting his cane aside, he went over to one of the boxes and started pulling ornaments out as someone tapped lightly at the door.

“Would you two please stop fighting?” he admonished. “We have a guest.”

“Could it be Haru?” Toto asked.

“No, you stupid chicken, she would need me to find her way here,” Muta snapped. “Shall I get the angel food cake out, Baron?”

“If you don’t intend to eat it all, then that would be most helpful,” he said as he grabbed his cane and approached the front door. 

Reaching out, he pulled the double doors open. As a cool burst of wind rushed into the warm confines of the Cat Bureau, Baron took in the visitors. They were cats, one a white colored female and a grayish purple colored male with mismatched blue and red eyes. Both were bundled up warmly in coats and scarves.

Immediately recognizing them, he broke into a bright smile. “Lune, Yuki, of what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” he asked as he waved them inside. “It would seem that it has gotten colder in the last few hours.”

“That it has,” Lune said as he inched his way out of his coat and hung it on the nearby rack. “It is much colder than back home, I must say.”

Baron nodded and as if to emphasize the royal cat’s words, he pulled the doors closed and watched as they came into the spacious room. “Please excuse the boxes, we’ve just started decorating for the holidays and we’ve been contemplating where the best place would be for the tree.”

“Is this a bad time, Baron?” Yuki asked as she kept a paw over her abdomen. “We can go if you are busy.” She cast an unhappy glance towards her husband.

“No, it’s not a bad time, Yuki. I always make time for friends,” he said as he cordially accepted her coat and hung it next to her husband’s. “Now, why don’t you sit down and I will make you some tea.”

“It wouldn’t be any trouble?” she asked.

“None at all,” Baron said as Lune nodded.

“Thank you, a tea does sound quite nice,” Lune began. “That should warm us both up in no time.”

By this time, Muta and Toto had ceased with their argument and instead of insulting the fat cat, Toto looked at Yuki. Noticing where specifically her paws were resting, his next question emerged. “So when are the kitties due?”

“Any day now,” Yuki said blushing slightly. “They’re actually the reason we’re here.”

“Oh really?” Baron asked as he stopped everything he was doing and turned around. “There’s nothing wrong with them, is there?”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Yuki said.

Baron nodded as he returned his attention to the tea. “I take it you both want milk in yours?”

“Of course,” Lune said nodding as he cast a glance over towards Muta who was literally wrapped up in twinkle lights.

“What is it, Your Majesty?” The gruff cat asked. He knew that when anyone gave him certain looks, it usually meant they wanted something.

“Muta, we came here because we need your help,” Lune responded as he accepted a cup of tea from Baron. Taking a sip, he swallowed before continuing to speak. “I know that you often venture into the human world, and that’s what we are asking you to do.”

“Are you kidding?” Muta asked. “You want me to go out in that blizzard? For what; pickles and ice cream?”

Yuki covered her mouth with her paw to hide the mirth, but after several moments, her amusement died away and she shook her head seriously. “We wish for you to find Haru. I asked Lune if she could be with us for the birth of our kittens.”

Baron returned to the counter and retrieved his own cup before he spoke, his voice laced in skepticism. “You wish for Haru to come to the Cat Kingdom?”

“No,” Lune said. “Although I have outlawed the entrapment of humans in the Cat Kingdom, there still is a risk that Haru could turn into a cat there. It is for that reason alone that Yuki wished to have her kittens here.”

“Here?” Muta asked as he managed to disentangle himself from the twinkle lights.

“It would not be any trouble,” Baron said as he seated himself in his favorite chair. “We do have rooms in the back of the Bureau where you could stay. I must admit that I am rather concerned about Haru’s safety en route from her home to here. The weather seems to be getting worse, and the human world may have even more chaos than we do here. For that reason alone, it may be hard to convince her to come and witness the delivery the night before Christmas.”

“I never thought of that, Baron,” Yuki said softly. “Perhaps it was a mistake to come and inquire since she probably does have plans for the holidays.”

“Most people do,” Toto said. “This is the biggest holiday of the year; people plan it several months in advance.”

“But, could you send Muta to at least inquire?” Lune asked hopefully. “I know it’s asking a lot, but I am not as experienced there, as Haru pointed out the first time we met.”

“Wait a minute, you expect me to go out in that?” Muta asked in a rather rude and demanding tone. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Baron held up a gloved hand but regarded Muta. “Perhaps I ought to go myself and retrieve her.”

“Baron, with all due respect; a cat walking around in a suit and top hat, well, it’s not something that the humans are used to seeing,” Toto interjected. “They have a hard enough time believing that cats can talk.”

“That is true, and I do not know the terrain as well as Muta or Yuki do,” Baron said. “But, while I would very much enjoy seeing her again, I wouldn’t dream of sending Yuki out in that blizzard.”

“So you want to send me out instead?” Muta looked at Baron.

“Well, you do have the bulk for it, fatso,” Toto said with an evil cackle.

“Shut up, Bird Brain,” Muta snapped as he turned away from Baron to glare at the crow. “Okay, I’ll go get Chicky, but Baron; you owe me big time for this.”

“Of course, an extra portion of angel food cake after Christmas dinner,” Baron said.

“It’s gotta be more than that, Baron,” Muta said. “But at least it saves me from having to deal with the twinkle lights. Bird Brain, you better get the decorating finished before I get back, with or without Haru, ‘cause I’m not doing anything else for this holiday.”

Baron nodded in agreement and watched as the white cat stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

~~~~~

Once Muta was gone, Lune looked at Baron. “May I ask you something, Baron?” The royal cat spoke his voice laced in kind undertones.

“Of course, Lune, what is it?” Baron responded.

“I was just pondering whether or not you have made your intentions known with Haru,” Lune began. “It seems rather clear that she means a great deal to you.”

“I noticed it too when you danced at the party two years ago,” Yuki said softly. “You looked as though you were determined to protect her from the whole Cat Kingdom. Any woman would be honored by such noble intentions.”

“My intentions?” the cat figurine looked from Lune to Yuki somewhat skeptically. “I have no intentions; I was merely trying to assist her.”

“Assist her?” Toto asked. “Baron, it is clear to me that you care for her, and frankly I think she has a right to know that she means far more to you than merely being a Cat Bureau client. Why have you not told her?”

“Why?” Baron asked looking at his friends. “Haru and I are quite different and while I do care for her, I have not seen her during the past two years to even voice what lies in my heart. If Haru is coming to the Refuge today, then she is here for the birth of the kittens and I will make all efforts to see to her comfort while she is here.”

“That’s all fine and good, but Baron, there is a size issue that we haven’t discussed yet,” Toto said. “How can we expect someone Haru’s size to come here, when she is three times the size of a cat?” 

“I will take care of that,” Lune spoke up with a smile. “After all, if Haru is going to arrive here to help Yuki and me, then I will offer her a bit of the Cat Kingdom magic in return for this kind gesture.”

“You are not turning her into a cat,” Baron said firmly. “I will not have it.”

“No I will not and cannot do that,” Lune interjected. “As you know, I have forbidden this in the Cat Kingdom, and I would be a terrible hypocrite if I turned tail on one of my own decrees. However, I can make it possible for Haru to become cat sized while she’s here. Perhaps it might make things a bit easier for all of us, especially when it comes to her navigating around the Cat Bureau. Trust me, Baron; I will make certain that no harm comes to her.”

“Alright, but this can only come to pass if Haru agrees to come with Muta here. Seeing as so much time has passed, I remain somewhat skeptical. She may still decline the invitation,” Baron said, his mouth turned down in a rather contemplative frown.

 _I hope she will choose to come though,_ he thought to himself. _Then I can tell her what I really feel and not keep those things bottled up with pretense and formalities._

What Baron failed to notice was that his friends were now staring at him; their faces were all shadowed in unspoken concern.

~~~~~

Unbeknownst of the goings on in the Cat Bureau, Haru Yoshioka sat staring outside at the snow as it fell against her window. She could not remember the last time it snowed, but right at that moment, she could not recall a worse time for the country to be completely covered with it.

It was now Christmas-eve and she was sitting at home alone. The wind would sometimes howl against the front windows as the soft snow slapped lightly against them. This would be the only sound she could hear as the house was completely silent.

The room was dark and the Christmas tree was a mere shadow in the corner of the room. Although she had finished the decorating, her spirits were low, so the lights remained unplugged. Sadness lined her face as she rested her chin in her hand and allowed her eyes to close momentarily.

The mug of hot tea she had poured for herself sat untouched on the coffee table some distance from where she was seated. One of the things she realized soon after her adventures in the Cat Kingdom was that her tea was only tasty when she was in relatively high spirits when she brewed it. At that moment, her feelings were a mixture between worry and despondency.

Within seconds, the sound of the phone ringing could be heard and she got to her feet and walked with weighted steps through the room in order to answer it. Picking it up, she placed it against her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi Haru, it’s me,” came the familiar, but tired sounding response.

“Where are you, Mom?” she asked. “I thought you’d be on a plane back home. How was the quilting convention?”

“It was fine, but unfortunately I’m stuck at Heathrow, dear,” Naoko Yoshioka responded, her voice carrying the same energy as a deflated balloon. “My flight home has been cancelled because of the bad weather here. I can’t talk too long because there’s a line behind me about a mile long. There are other stranded passengers who have to call their families as well. I will be trying to get a hotel room until I can get out of here.”

“But, Mom, tomorrow’s Christmas,” Haru objected sadly. “You said you’d be home tonight in time for midnight mass.”

“I know, but this is unavoidable,” she said. “Believe me; I’d rather be home with you right now. I was looking forward to celebrating the holidays with you, but it’s not going to happen. I promise you that when I do get home, we’ll do something very special for New Years.”

“Okay,” Haru said softly. “I’ll be okay, Mom. Just be careful, and let me know when you’re able to catch a flight home.”

“I’ll do that,” Naoko said softly. “For what it’s worth, Merry Christmas, honey.”

“Merry Christmas, Mom.”

As soon as she heard the resounding click at the other end, Haru took a deep breath and returned the phone to the cradle. She could suddenly feel the tears beginning to sting beneath her eyelids.

Promising herself that she would not cry, she slowly got to her feet and walked over to the cup that was still sitting on the coffee table. Picking it up, she sniffed the contents and groaned, _just as I thought, swamp water._ She carried it into the kitchen and dumped the contents down the drain before putting the empty cup into the dishwasher.

Taking a deep breath, she walked slowly back to her seat next to the window. _What a time to be completely alone,_ she thought as she stared down at her hands, _at Christmas_.

As she sat lulling over the fact that she would be completely alone this year, a slight tapping could suddenly be heard. She raised her head to see that a pair of annoyed looking eyes were staring into the room at her. They matched a white colored cat that could have easily passed for a giant snowball.

“Muta?” she spoke. Of course, all the cat outside could see was that her mouth was moving.

Quickly, she got up from her seat and motioned with one hand towards the front door.

The cat nodded and jumped from the window sill and reached the door just as Haru had opened it.

A cold gust of air entered the room along with the cat, but not minding this she closed the door quickly and got down on the floor next to him. “What are you doing out in this weather?”

“It wasn’t my choice,” the fat cat groused.

“Then why did you come?” she asked, but then after some moments, she quickly recovered and looked at him. “Oh the reason doesn’t really matter. Muta, it’s really great seeing you.”

“Yeah, yeah; you know I’m not one for that sentimental stuff so I’ll just cut right to the chase. Chicky, the Bureau needs you.”

“Me?” she asked, “but, why? I haven’t seen anyone from there in the past two years. I figured you had all forgotten about me.”

Muta shook his head. “Don’t bet on it,” he said sourly. “In case you’re wondering, Baron hasn’t forgotten about you at all.”

“He hasn’t?” she asked curiously, “really?”

“No,” he said as he cast a glance around the dark and empty room. “But from the looks of things around here, it would seem that the rest of the world has. Maybe I’m doing you a favor coming here to find you.”

“Why does the Cat Bureau need me?” Haru asked.

“That will be explained when we get there, unless, of course, you want to stick around here,” he said. “You know, this isn’t really what I imagined when I thought about the way humans celebrate Christmas. I assumed that you’d have a houseful of people here; not sitting alone and feeling sorry for yourself.”

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself,” she snapped.

“Could have fooled me,” he muttered.

Instead of responding, Haru shrugged her shoulders sadly. _Maybe Muta is right and I am feeling sorry for myself,_ she thought sadly. Instead of contemplating this further, she looked at the cat. “So, who was it who sent you, anyway? Was it Baron?” There was a hopeful tone in those words, but within seconds that hope would be dashed as the cat got up and stretched, his fat body looking remotely like a giant marshmallow with legs.

“Actually, the ones turning me into a frozen messenger are Lune and Yuki,” he said, but casually nudged her as he continued. “But, between you and me, I don’t think Baron would object to seeing you again. Or do you have plans?”

“No, in fact, just before you arrived I was contemplating how I was going to spend Christmas this year since I’m alone,” she said without elaborating on her situation.

“Then I take it you have no problems coming with me to the Refuge?” He asked.

“No…” her voice broke as he interrupted.

“…Great, then the sooner we get going, the sooner I can thaw out,” he said.

Haru took a deep breath, “sounds great. I mean; visiting the Refuge would be a great distraction for me.”

“A distraction?” he asked crossly. “Is that all we are to you?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way,” she said taking a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry, that just didn’t come out right.”

Muta got up and studied her face a bit closely. When he saw unshed tears in her eyes, his voice lost its edge as he spoke. “What’s the matter, Chicky? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, unless you count being all alone on Christmas as nothing,” she said sadly.

“What do I look like, chopped liver?” Muta snapped.

Haru got to her feet, all the while shaking her head as the large cat continued speaking.

“Let’s just get going, I don’t have all night.”

Haru nodded but casting a glance down at her clothing, she took a deep breath. “Okay, but I’m going to need a sweater and some things out of my room, can you wait five minutes?”

He grunted, but offered a slight nod.

“Thanks, Muta, I’ll be right back.”

With that, she raced up the stairs and after several minutes had come back down, her arms empty and a small frown on her face. “If I had known that I would be saved from isolation by the Cat Bureau, I’d have gotten you all something for Christmas.”

“Don’t fret about that, kid,” he said as he started to make his way towards the front door. For her part, Haru opened the hall cabinet and grabbed a long coat, woolen hat, shawl, and gloves. 

“Just promise me one thing, Muta,” she said as she wound the scarf around her neck.

“What?” He asked.

“Promise you won’t run too fast, I might slip and fall on the ice. I don’t really want to break my neck trying to get to the Cat Bureau tonight,” she said.

The fat cat nodded and once his friend was all bundled up, they stepped outside. As soon as she had locked the front door, they started to make their way down the street in the direction of the city center.

~~~~~

After some time had passed, the two friends had reached the end of the esplanade and Haru began to recognize the path that led to the Cat Bureau. As the familiar area came into view, she could feel the cold wind still blowing against her face.

Shivering, she suddenly remembered that Baron’s house was much smaller than she was. It would be a tight squeeze for her to get inside, and with several cats and a crow hanging around, an extended visit might prove cramped and uncomfortable for all parties involved.

 _Why didn’t I just suggest that they come to my house?_ She asked herself. _Mom’s away and the place is depressingly empty. At least there would have been lots of space as well as plenty of food. Perhaps not so much for Muta to have seven or eight helpings, but at least it would be enough for the Cat Bureau’s occupants._

Haru sadly concluded that at the end of the evening, she would probably have to make that lonely trek back home. The mere thought of sleeping outside on cold cobblestones was even less appealing than watching Muta devour an entire Christmas dinner.

As these thoughts ravaged her mind, the young woman could not help but wonder if Muta would even be willing to bring her back and forth for Christmas day. He knew that she would be spending the day alone, and yet he seemed rather put out having to play messenger cat in the first place.

“Come on Chicky, it is really cold out here, and the others are waiting, get a move on.” Muta’s voice interrupted her contemplations and she began to trudge her way in the direction of the Refuge.

As she reached the courtyard, she stopped walking for several moments and stared at the small green and white colored A-frame structure. It was just as she remembered, right down to the small street lamp shining over the left side of the quaint little house. 

Passing Toto’s perch, she noticed that it was void of the crow. _He was probably inside taking advantage of the warmth,_ she thought as she stepped towards the double doors that would lead into the house. Feeling another gust of air blowing against her, she shivered as she felt her hat shift off her head. A quick hand stopped it from blowing away. With her hand still holding the woolen object, she took several steps towards the house.

Moments passed and the double doors opened and Muta disappeared inside.

As soon as he had entered, she got down on her knees only to see a grayish purple colored cat emerging from the warm confines of the Cat Bureau. Spotting her, his face broke into a bright smile.

“Prince Lune?” she spoke, her voice trembling from the cold.

“Hello Haru,” he smiled, his mismatched eyes shining brightly at the sight of the human standing before him. “You’re half right, but I’m afraid the title no longer applies. As soon as you left the Cat Kingdom, my father retired and I took his place.” 

“So, you are now the Cat King?” she asked. “I think I like you better as the Cat King than your father.”

He nodded and smiled. “Many of the subjects would feel inclined to agree with you.”

“Well then, it’s nice to see you again, Your Majesty,” she said smiling.

“It is quite nice that you were able to tear yourself away from your family to come and spend Christmas-eve with us here. But, I must reiterate that I do not wish for you to address me with any of those formalities. My friends call me Lune and I am in your debt once again for coming,” he said. “Did Muta tell you why we have asked you to come?”

“No, he didn’t say anything except that I was needed here, but believe me, if I actually had family to spend the holidays with, I would not have been able to come at all, so perhaps my misfortune is your gain,” she said softly.

“I do not understand,” Lune confessed.

“Just before Muta came, I got a call from my mother saying that she was stuck in London and could not catch a flight home. If not for this invitation, I would have been forced spending Christmas all by myself.”

Lune nodded as he extended a small object to her. She immediately recognized it as being similar to the golden collar that he had worn the very first time she had seen him. That was when she had saved him from being hit by a truck.

She took a deep breath before reaching out to accept his offering. “What is it?”

“It is something that should help you. As long as you are wearing it, you can take on cat height and the Bureau’s rooms will not seem so cramped to you,” he explained. “It is rather full you see with all of us inside.”

“Is this thing magic?” she asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“In a manner of speaking, it is magic, but being in the refuge, you should be well aware that there exists magic all around you. On this special night, magic is a very powerful thing, Haru,” he said smiling. “Wear it throughout your time here, and you will be able to walk into the house as though it is your own. Now, please, before you catch your death, put it on so that we may adjourn inside. It is rather cold out here, and you look like you’re about to freeze.”

Haru nodded and affixed the collar around her neck. Closing her eyes momentarily, she could suddenly feel the object falling against her chest. It now felt much heavier than before when Lune had handed it to her.

After several moments, she opened her eyes and could see that the Bureau’s doors were now big enough for her to easily walk through.

Taking a deep breath, and feeling the nervousness filling her, she started to follow Lune into the house.

~~~~~

Coming inside the Cat Bureau for the first time in two years, the first thing she noticed was how the house was decorated for the holidays. Baron was standing inside the room, but otherwise it was empty. Lune had already disappeared down a hallway, the tails of his coat flying in his wake. Haru concluded that Yuki was resting in the other room, but still she wondered where Toto and Muta had gone.

Standing alone in the doorway, she could suddenly feel the tears catching in her eyes. The awkward silence seemed to permeate the room, leaving her to wonder why it was her friends were not even there to welcome her. Silence seemed to enfold her and all she could hear were the sounds of the crackling fire in the fireplace.

Swallowing the lump that lodged itself in the back of her throat, she spoke. “Hello Baron.” She waited for several seconds as he turned around and his slanted green eyes met her brown ones. She waited for him to slowly approach her, but when he did, he extended his hands to her with the intention of taking her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves and put them in the nearby cabinet.

Obliging, she removed the four garments and handed them to him. As he went over to the cabinet to put the items away, Lune reentered the room and looked at her. “It’s time, Haru, our children are coming.”

Haru nodded, but instead of saying anything, she followed him down the hallway and into the room he shared with Yuki. As she came into the room, she could see that Muta and Toto were both standing in the corner watching the goings on around them. She nodded in their direction, but approached the bed to see that Yuki was lying against a pillow on top of a duvet. The white cat’s brow was covered in perspiration, but when she saw Haru standing near the bed, a sweet smile graced her lips.

“Haru,” Yuki spoke, her simple word emerging as an exhausted sigh.

“Hi, Yuki,” she said as she came over and sat down on the edge of the bed before reaching over, gently taking the paw of the cat, and holding it gently. As she did this, Baron entered the room with several blankets.

“My babies are coming,” Yuki managed to speak.

“Yes, they are, you’re going to a wonderful mother,” Haru said softly.

“Thank you for being here,” Yuki said as she pulled her paw out of Haru’s grasp and the pains of labor began to take hold of the cat. The moment had finally come and Yuki and Lune were about to become parents.

Haru backed away from the bed and sat down on a nearby chair and waited and watched as the miracle happened right before her eyes.

Once the three boys and one girl were mewing happily in the arms of their father; Baron, Toto, Muta and Haru decided to leave the family to themselves and adjourn back into the sitting room.

~~~~~

Once they had come back into the main room, Baron broke the silence. “It’s been an exciting evening, has it not?”

“Oh yes, exciting,” Muta said as his eyes unconsciously rolled.

The four friends grew silent again as they each settled in to wait for any news from the royal cat family. Muta went over and stretched out on the sofa, Toto perched himself on the railing and watched as Baron began to prepare another pot of tea. Haru remained standing behind the sofa for several moments before casually walking over to the fireplace and settling herself on a large red velvet pillow.

As soon as the tea had finished setting, Baron poured some of it into a cup, added some milk and brought it over to her. “This should warm you up,” he said as he extended the cup and saucer to her. Accepting the proffered objects, she began to sip the warm liquid.

Seconds later, Lune had emerged from his and Yuki’s room again, a smile on his face, as he cleared his throat.

“Yuki and I have decided on the names of our children,” he said.

“Don’t you dare name one of those ankle biters after me,” Muta grumbled. “He’d have a tough act to follow.”

“You can say that again, fatso,” Toto snickered.

Haru giggled as Muta scowled. “Well, I’m not sure a kitten would really want to be named after a Cat Kingdom legend, especially not one with your reputation, Muta,” she said.

“Humbert isn’t a bad name,” Toto remarked.

Baron smiled slightly. “I’m not so sure of that,” he said as he looked at Haru. “Now you know why everyone calls me ‘Baron’.”

“Well, you can all rest assured that as much as we like all of you, we have chosen other names,” Lune said smiling. “With no offence intended to our dearest friends of course, but the names Yuki and I agreed on are Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar in honor of the three wise men from the original Christmas story.”

“That’s very fitting,” Baron said diplomatically. “And what shall be the name of the little princess?” 

“Frieden,” Lune said.

“That’s German for ‘Peace’,” Baron informed the group.

Lune nodded as Haru offered a happy smile. “Well, I really like those names.”

She raised her head and looked at Lune. “I just wanted to say thank you for thinking of me tonight and allowing me to bear witness to this Christmas miracle. I guess I was feeling bad because my mother wasn’t able to come home, but I know that this is a far cry better than anything we could have planned.”

“I’m glad that you were able to be here, Haru,” Lune said. “It was important to Yuki and to me as well.”

“May we see the children?” Toto asked.

“Of course, but I’d be obliged if you didn’t stay too long, Yuki’s exhausted and I’m pretty tired too.”

Muta got up from where he was seated and he and Toto retreated down the hallway and into the other room.

“I’ll come after I finish my tea,” Haru said and Lune nodded and left.

Once he was gone, Haru took a sip of the tea and raised her head to see that Baron was still standing next to the counter at one end of the room. She knew that she needed to speak with him and that this would probably be the only opportunity that she would have.

As nervousness began to literally swallow her whole, she realized that she was not sure about what it was she wanted to say. She recalled how she had told him two years before that she had a crush on him, but ever since that day, she realized that her feelings for him had not changed. In fact, seeing him again only made those emotions stronger. She finished her tea and placed the cup next to the pillow as the butterflies in her stomach began to go completely berserk.

For his part, Baron smiled slightly. He could tell just from looking at her that her feelings had not changed since the last time they had seen one another. _She is not doing a terribly good job at hiding her emotions,_ he thought, _now only time would tell before her façade would ultimately fall away._

He knew that he had not said very much to her, but instead of staying silent, he walked over to where she was seated and spoke; his voice soft. “I just wanted to say welcome back; I’m very pleased that you were able to join us. I have a room ready for you down the hall, so you are free to stay the night.”

She nodded as she breathed in deeply and exhaled before speaking. “Thank you for your hospitality.” As she spoke, she tried to get back on her feet in order to offer him a half bow. Giving up on that, she raised her head and looked up at him. “Baron, the invitation was also from you, wasn’t it?”

“Of course, but, you do remember what I said when we parted company last time, don’t you?”

“Yes, I remember. You said that the Bureau’s doors would always be open to me if I ever needed you,” she said. “I wanted to come back, but I never really had a reason, I mean I looked for one, but I couldn’t really find one.”

“You could have come back anytime just to visit,” he said.

“Maybe,” she said. “I guess I wanted to, but I didn’t want to be a bother.” Especially not to you, she added silently as he sat down on the pillow next to her.

“Let me ask you something; now that Yuki has had her kittens and the obligation is fulfilled, do you not want to be here?”

“No, I do want to be here,” she began. “I was just surprised and a little bit confused. I already told Muta and Lune that I wasn’t crazy about spending Christmas alone. Getting to come here has sort of saved me from reheated leftovers and staring listlessly out the window.”

“Where is your family?” he asked.

Haru took a deep breath, trying to will herself not to cry. She wanted to, but feared that Baron might judge her for being completely immersed in games of self pity. That was pretty much what had prevented her from telling Muta everything back at her house. She wondered if deep down inside if Baron could understand the extent of her loneliness.

He watched as a stray tear escaped from beneath one of her eyes and streamed down over her cheek. He reached over and rested a gloved hand on her shoulder. “It would seem to me that we are long overdue for a talk.”

Nodding, she allowed her eyes to halfway close. Between the lids, she stared down at her clasped fingers. Moments passed in awkward silence and she found herself staring at the dancing flames in the fireplace.

Eventually, Baron spoke her name, his voice literally jarring her back to the moment. “Haru?”

Hearing this somehow caused even more tears to start streaming down her cheeks. With the sleeve of her sweater, she started to swipe it against the moisture, still willing herself to be strong. After some moments, however, she found the courage to raise her head and look over at him, her lower lip trembling. “It’s really silly, isn’t it?” she managed to speak, her voice cracking with each syllable.

“Yet, regardless of how inane you may view it, you are still quite unhappy,” he said softly.

She nodded her head as more tears slipped from beneath her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt the softness of a handkerchief being pressed into her hand.

“You must think I’m totally pathetic, huh?” she asked softly, but wiped her eyes.

“Not at all,” he said gently. “Just tell me what is troubling you. Somehow I do not think it is solely about the situation with your mother.”

“It’s not,” she began. “It’s just that whenever I try to forget about what happened two years ago; I realize that I cannot. Maybe a small part of me doesn’t want to, but then I start asking myself how I could possibly move on with my life if I can’t forget about what happened.”

“Why would you want to forget, Haru?” he asked softly.

“Because sometimes remembering hurts,” she whispered brokenly.

“I’m not quite sure I follow,” he said honestly.

“It’s stupid,” she lowered her head.

“Just tell me.”

“Okay, but please don’t hate me for what I have to say,” she began, her voice cracking with emotion. “The thing is, I really tried to forget what happened so that I could have a social life and could go on dates, but every attempt was a complete disaster.”

“Why is that?”

“Because no matter how hard I tried to have a good time, I couldn’t, because the guy in question wasn’t you.” She stared down at her lap as her next words emerged. “Isn’t any of this obvious to you? I never stopped caring for you, Baron; I never stopped feeling what I felt two years ago. After you and the others left, the crush just got worse and worse.”

“I had no idea,” he said softly.

“Yes, well, the hardest part was the fact that I knew that these were feelings that could never be returned,” she sniffed. “It still didn’t stop me from having them, though.”

Baron took a deep breath as he looked down at his lap. For the first time in his existence, the Creation had no idea what to say. Before he could so much as collect his thoughts and formulate them into a response, her unhappy words continued.

“The thing is; this all hurts even more than my mother leaving and then getting snowed in the day before Christmas. When she called earlier and said that she wouldn’t be home for Christmas, all I kept thinking about was how much time I would have to remember you and the impact you had on my life…” As these words hung lazily in the air, she disappeared once again behind the handkerchief. “…Why’d you have to be so perfect anyway?”

Baron reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m terribly sorry, Haru.”

“It’s not your fault,” she managed to speak.

“I do believe it is,” he said. “Perhaps I should have told you how I felt as well.”

“How you felt?”

He nodded slowly as he reached over and brushed a gloved hand against one side of her face. When the moisture from her tears seeped through the fabric, he lowered his hand. “Much of what I said to you two years ago had been said out of obligation, but you must know that I have always been terribly fond of you. You are a very special person and not someone I could have simply forgotten about.” He took a deep breath as his next words emerged. “You see; no matter how many individuals step through these doors seeking my assistance, I shall always treasure your presence and my memories of you will be with all the affection that I am capable of.”

“But, it’s not the same,” she whispered more to herself than to him.

“I know,” he said softly as he lowered his hand reached for one of hers. As he felt her surrendering it, he continued. “I realized that Yuki and Lune wanted you here to witness the birth of their kittens, but there was another underlying reason for my wanting you here, Haru. It is a more selfish one.

“I could never have admitted this to the others, although I think perhaps they already knew. The truth is; there was always a part of me that longed to have you here because you mean a great deal to me. Perhaps, it is my being somewhat old-fashioned that has prevented me from coming forward and being truthful with you, but you must know that your feelings are not one-sided.”

As if to emphasize this point, Baron leaned towards her and once his gloved hands captured her face gently in their hold, he leaned forward and allowed his lips to brush lightly against hers in a chaste kiss.

Moments later, he backed away only to feel her throwing her arms around him as she had done at the party back at the Cat Kingdom just after he had announced his name and intentions before the Cat Court.

“I love you, Baron,” she whispered. “I always have.”

Backing away, he smiled shyly at her as a soft purr rumbled in the back of his throat. Hearing this, Haru rested her head against his chest and felt his arms wrapping around her.

At that moment, Haru Yoshioka knew that Baron Humbert von Gikkingen felt the very same way she did.

The End


End file.
